Jester PI
by The Vast Empire
Summary: Jester Squad are sent from the Vast empire to infiltrate Grand Admiral Thrawn's flagship posing as graduates from the Military Academy on Carida. They need to find the evidence proving that Thrawn is planning and attack on Tadath, the HQ of the VE Army.OC
1. Chapter 1

This story had been written by several members who each represent one of these characters.

Disclaimer: We do not own Star Wars and I have not written anything you are about to read. This chapter was written by Jegora.

Characters Overview:

Mai:

(cathar)

Despite her notable feline features, Mai resembles a human female in overall shape and form. Her body is covered in a short reddish brown fur that blends into an unkempt mane of darker, gold flecked hair. Her yellow eyes are wider set than those of a human, with a 'tear stripe' running from the corner of each eye down the side of both cheeks to the base of her chin. Her ears are pointed as opposed to rounded, whilst her nose is wider and flatter to process a greater variety of scents.

Slow to trust, Mai is a naturally suspicious character. She tends to question or disobey orders rather than follow obediently, a trait which sees her consistently butting heads with her superiors in the Army. She also struggles with a fiery temper common to members of her race. Despite this, she is keenly intelligent, and quick to learn. She is also incredibly loyal to individuals who have gained her respect.

Reek:

(Human)

Shy and very timid, Goln has a very passive nature, but he also has a very short temper and when provacated, has a tendency to lash out aggressively. Along with his impressive size and the fact that he was an immigrant to the planet Iridonia, these qualities lead to him being given then the name "Reek" by his Zabrak adoptive family. As was the tradition with the species, he was given this name along with tradition Zabrak facial tattoos, during his rite of passage.

Tall and broad, Goln has a muscular-athletic build, his skin is tan, and his hair is long, jet black, and twisted into dreadlocks. His face is covered in stubbled. He has deep green eyes, and his smile is white and crooked, there is something charming about it, something that reminds you of home. He has a strong chin, and his gaze is long and narrow, it seems as though is nose has been broken at least twice, and he has the strange symbols and marks on his face, that tell his lineage, and history, the most outstanding of which are the three large horn shaped symbols on his for-head, for ever marking him as "Reek". Often seen without a helmet, he is usually clad in the standard Stoorm Trooper apparel, except for the fact that he wears tradition Zaberak field boots.

Abalar:

(Human)

Abalar is a quiet, unassuming person. It takes a lot for her to become angry: usually its when someone constantly calls her Stone instead of Abalar or Fyre (see pet peeves for more info). When she is angry, it takes a long time for her to settle down again. She will rarely drink, mainly due to her childhood, unless she is very upset or afraid, and needs to forget about something.

Jegora:

(The Squad Leader)

(Human)

During his time in the Navy, Jegora was known as a by-the-book man, never breaking any rules and following orders to the fullest. He never drank, never partied, never smoked, never did any of the stupid things that get sailors in trouble. He was a cold individual, making few friends and even fewer enemies, keeping to himself and doing his work as efficiently as possible. When he was drafted into the Vast Empire Naval Intelligence Division, and in effect the Starfighter Corps, much of this behavior changed. He 'thawed' out, becoming more friendly and more open towards the men and women he served with. He retained his ironclad discipline, however, refusing to participate in any activities he deemed 'destructive'.

Tall and physically imposing, Jegora is the ideal specimen for the Stormtrooper. Standing four inches over six feet and weighing in at two hundred and twelve pounds of solid muscle Jegora is a verifiable mountain of a man. He stands erect at all times, a soldier to the core, and always appears to be tense. He has often been described as a coiled snake by those who meet him, and an angry bear to those that have to fight him in melee combat.

Jager Luth:

(Human)

Few carry people in the Corps carry with them such a sense foreboding and dread then Jager. By no means could he be called a large man, coming in at a little over six foot and weighing near two hundred pounds, he lacks the physical presence that his fellow troopers tend to carry. But where he lacks the size, he makes up for with his more prominent features. His life in the Corps has been brutal, a fact which is shown on the many scars that cover his sickly colored body, some more obvious then others. One in particular, a fissure that runs the length of the left hand side of his face, from the base of his hairline, through his eye and ending just short of his jaw, general makes people uneasy around him.

In his time with the Corps, Jager has seen alot. The death of friends, the massacre of civilians and the darker, savage side of people. Where most would convince themselves otherwise, he has long accepted the fact that all people, be them human or alien, are savage, some just hide it better then others. And in a universe populated by savages there are no boundries and everything is permitted. This mentality tends to push people away from him. He is a cold, pessimistic, disconnected and ruthless individual who makes no compromises and shows few mercies other then a quick death to those who stand in his way. He is merciless, but not sadistic. He takes no pleasure in killing people, unlike some of his comrades. When he does, he does it as quick, clean and efficient as possible.

Giovanni:

(Human)

Not available

* * *

* * *

Seated at the desk in his small, albeit comfortable quarters, Jegora was in the process of reading through several after-action reports when his comlink beeped loudly. He pushed the flimsiplast away with one hand and rubbed the sleep out of his tired eyes with the other before reaching for the beeping device. While the interruption provided a welcome break from the monotonous paperwork, whoever it was calling him at this time of night probably didn't have good news. There was nothing else for it, however. Snatching the slim comlink of his belt, Jegora accepted the uplink, and soon Angel's voice echoed throughout his room.

"Jeg, we have a situation," the newly promoted platoon commander said. Angel had joined the ranks of the commissioned officers shortly before the mission to Eriadu, much to the disgust of the noncoms and enlisted men who had served under him when he was still the squad leader of Jester Squad. Then he and his platoon had performed so well on Eriadu that he had received _another_ promotion, and there were rumors floating around that the skilled 1st Lieutenant would be taking on an even bigger role within the Corps very shortly.

But that was in the future, and right now Jegora needed to focus on the present. "What kind of situation?" he inquired, attempting to keep the fatigue out of his voice. Situations meant missions, and that was the last thing he wanted to think about.

"The mission kind," Angel said, sounding more than a little tired himself. "Briefing is tomorrow at 0830, Tadath time. Don't be late."

With that the superior officer cut the communications link, and Jegora was left to brood in silence. Shaking his head, he decided not to worry about what he couldn't control. If they had a mission, they had a mission, and that was that. The reports on his desk, however, weren't going anywhere. Groaning to himself, Jegora pulled the next sheet of flimsiplast towards him and began to read.

* * *

Jegora was the first to arrive at the briefing, which wasn't all that surprising. He arrived fifteen minutes early, got a cup of caf, and took a seat near the front of the small-ish briefing room. The size of the briefing room along gave a hint as to what the mission would entail. It was a simple squad-sized briefing room, and that meant that the Jesters would be going at it alone once again. Not that the Jesters didn't mind working by themselves; in fact, most of the time they preferred it.

As he watched his squad mates trickle in, however, Jegora had to admit that they were seriously undermanned. Angel was gone, Bloodhound had been transferred out on some special assignment, and Brightstar had decided to take what few limbs she had left and retire. The Jesters were three troopers short, and three troopers could make all the difference in the world during a mission. Leaning back in his rather uncomfortable chair, Jegora couldn't help but wonder what use a crippled, tired stormtrooper squad would be.

He didn't have to wait very long to find out. All the Jesters arrived before the scheduled time, and at exactly 0830 the door slid open once again, this time admitting two serious looking individuals. The first man Jegora recognized instantly, although it was still weird to see him wearing a commissioned officer's uniform. Upon entering the room, Angel started to call the Jesters to order, but he needn't have bothered. Jegora and the rest of his troopers were already standing at attention, spurred into action by the appearance of the second man. Even Jager was smart enough to realize that it was prudent to show a little respect for a general officer, and that it was doubly so when that general officer happened to be Rizzit Blackheart, the Army's executive officer and the Stormtrooper Corps' second-in-command.

If Angel was surprised at his old squad's sudden and rather out-of-character display of discipline, he didn't show it. He stood at attention himself, waiting for Rizzit to give the 'as you were' command, which he did without any real delay. It was probably for the best; Jegora wasn't sure how long his squad's new-found discipline would hold up under scrutiny. He sat down, as did the rest of his squad, and as soon as they were seated Angel began the briefing.

"First off, I'd like to introduce General Rizzit Blackheart, who has shown a personal interest in this mission." Rizzit inclined his head slightly, and Jegora had the distinct impression that his interest in the mission might have been more than just personal. Angel didn't wait for any questions, however, so whatever suspicions Jegora might have had were forced to wait.

Sliding a data disk into the consol on the podium, Angel rapidly flashed through a jumble of photographs, most of which the Jesters recognized. In fact, the Jesters had taken quite a lot of the pictures. It had only been a few weeks ago that they had finished an investigation into the background of a slicer named Jak Frozzt, and the subsequent attack he had helped carry out against the very heart of the Stormtrooper Corps itself. Apparently, this new mission would be closely related.

"Now, as you all know, we recently undertook an investigation aimed at finding out exactly how the terrorist attacks on Tadath were allowed to happen." Angel paused for a moment, then continued. "We didn't turn up anything solid, but the evidence we gathered was combined with intelligence from other sources, and Army Intelligence has come to a conclusion."

He pressed a button on the podium, and the screen was filled with the image of a blue-skinned humanoid with glowing red eyes. Instantly Jegora's blood ran cold. Chiss were recognizable anywhere, but this Chiss happened to be wearing the white uniform of a Grand Admiral. There had only been a handful of Grand Admirals in the first place, but only one of them had been an alien, and Chiss at that: Thrawn. If the Jesters had to go up against Thrawn, things were going to get interesting. By definition the Grand Admirals had to be extremely capable military and oftentimes political leaders, but Thrawn's tactical brilliance and his knack for strategy eclipsed that of all the other Grand Admirals. He was a dangerous foe, and not a being who was fooled easily.

Angel soon confirmed Jegora's fears. "This is Grand Admiral Thrawn," he said quietly. "Intelligence has indicated that he and his Imperial Remnant were ultimately behind the terrorist attacks on Tadath. It's also been determined that there was a higher purpose behind these attacks."

Jegora knew what was coming then, and by the way his entire squad shifted uncomfortably in their seats they did to. When Angel stepped back and allowed Rizzit to take over the briefing, Jegora knew the Jesters were all in trouble.

"The Imperial Remnant still uses the military academy on Carida in order to train their stormtroopers and officers. These newly minted stormtroopers are shipped off Carida and to the Chimaera, Grand Admiral Thrawn's flagship and the true heart of the Remnant," Rizzit said. "Luckily for us, a class is graduating from the Caridan Academy in just two days time. They will ship to the Chimaera like everyone else, and be dispersed among the various stormtrooper squads there."

By then, Jegora already knew the plan, and he didn't like it one bit. Then Rizzit said, "You'll be among them," and just like that all appearances of discipline shattered. There were murmurs from the Jesters in the back, and Jegora could even hear Jager somewhere off to his right, cursing up a storm. For his part, though, Jegora remained silent, waiting.

"Silence," Angel said, his voice as hard as steel and as cold as ice. Whether it was the tone of his voice, or the fact that the Jesters were simply use to obeying him, they quieted instantly, and Rizzit was allowed to continue.

"Thank you. Now, for the specifics. We've arranged civilian transport from Tadath to Corellia. From Corellia you will board a separate civil transport for Carida," Rizzit continued. "You will be provided with your targets en route. You will remove these individuals, and then take their place. They are green recruits, so don't expect much of a fight, but know that your infiltration has to go off without a hitch. Also, you will carry no equipment. You will be supplied with equipment after your successful infiltration of the Chimaera, no doubt. Until then, you ARE civilians. Understood?"

A sullen chorus of affirmatives answered him, and Rizzit stepped down. Angel stepped back up to the podium. "Once you've successfully infiltrated the Chimaera, you'll need to begin gathering any intelligence you can that relates to the Vast Empire. We have an agent in place who will contact you once you arrive. She won't be able to help much, but she'll do what she can. Any questions?" he inquired.

Jegora stood, brushing himself off. "Just one," he said. "When do we leave?"

Angel motioned towards the door. "Right now. Civilian clothes have been found. You'll change, and then you'll make your way to the Tadath's main civilian spaceport. From there, you'll need to board the _Starhawk_. The captain doesn't know anything about your mission, only that you need quick transport, so from this moment onward you are no long soldiers of the Vast Empire.

"Right," Jegora said. He still had serious reservations about this mission, but there wasn't anything he could do about it now. He turned to leave, and most of his squad followed suit. When he reached the door, however, Rizzit's voice stopped him.

"Sergeant, at some point in time you may be asked to do something that will appall you, something you could or would never do," Rizzit said. "Nonetheless, you MUST do whatever they ask, without hesitation. _Whatever they ask_. Understood?"

"Yes sir, understood." Jegora said, and the rest of his squad answered much the same.

Rizzit gave a small, sad smile. "Very good then. Dismissed. And good luck."


	2. Chapter 2

"This is ridiculous."

Kiption didn't glance up from where he was sliding the latest range of 'trendy' casual civilian boots onto his feet. Mai watched him for a moment, before tapping her claws along the inside of his door frame in an open display of impatience, "Did you hear me?"

"Yes, I heard you." Kiption came to his feet and wandered across his small quarters to where a single refresher was jammed into a skewed corner, "And yes. It is."

Mai stared unblinkingly at his muscular back as Kiption casually began to sweep his personal effects into a duffel bag at his feet. He seemed completely oblivious to Mai's evident distress, or was obviously was choosing to ignore it. Confused by the Sergeants actions, she sought to elaborate,

"They want us to infiltrate the _Chimaera_." She paused for necessary dramatic effect, "The _Chimaera_. As in Admiral **Thrawn's** flagship."

Kiption briefly examined a tube of toothpaste, before glancing back at her with a nonchalant expression, "And?"

"And?" Mai cast her slender arms skywards, "Am I the only member of this squad who isn't completely insane? Are you all utterly dense? High Command wants an undermanned five person squad with little to no intelligence training to infiltrate the ranks of their most feared and most strategically brilliant enemy. Not only are we going in without the necessary training, we'll most likely be split up and without support as soon as we board the ship. And that's under the unlikely circumstance that we'll even be able to make it undiscovered from Carida!"

"I'm not disagreeing with you Mai," Kiption cast the toothpaste into the duffel and finally turned to face her, "This mission is particularly FUBAR. But orders are orders."

"Please," Mai snarled in response, "That's trite and you know it. You're not stupid Kip. You know this is professional suicide."

"Maybe so," Kiption moved away from the refresher, "But at the end of the day it's my job to follow orders. You can consider odds and employ logic, but I've found it's easier simply to keep a clear head and a steady finger on the trigger."

"Logic is never unnecessary," Mai clenched her jaw in an attempt to quell her rising frustration, "We need more time for briefing. For further training. More support in position so we have greater chance of success."

"It wouldn't make a difference Mai," Kiption countered calmly, "This mission is going to ride on individual performance. You can't train a soldier to react and adapt. It's a natural skill. And it's what the troopers of this squad were chosen specifically for. Have faith enough in yourself and the rest of us so you can focus on what really matters."

Mai snorted in disdain, "Let me guess: The Vast Empire"

"Right," Kiption came to a halt in front of her, "Now I know you didn't come here in a display of amity, so I'll take my leave. If you still have issues with the upcoming mission take it up with Jeg though I wouldn't go expecting any reassurances on his part either. Ultimately, if you don't want to go on the mission, you need to go and see your recruiter and get a transfer to a grunt squad. Then you can patrol around safely on a deadbeat planet all you like."

Mai's golden eyes flashed as she stood her ground, "Are you calling me a coward?"

"No," Kiption remained stoically composed in the face of the Cathar's rising anger, "I've seen enough to know that you're not a coward. You're an extremely capable soldier, and you're sharp. A little too sharp for a soldier. You're used to dictating how things go and that's rarely going to happen in the military. Not until you have a General tab on your shoulder." He paused and looked pointedly at his wrist chrono, "Shuttle leaves in an hour."

Mai conceded her ground and stood back to let the Kiption past. He moved off at an easy stride down the hallway of the barracks, not bothering to look back. He'd more than made his point. The veteran solider had just bluntly psycho-analyzed her perfectly within the space of a few minutes. It was an exasperating development considering that Mai had been trying ineffectively for over a month to identify with her human squadmates. Their easy manipulation of emotion was a foreign concept to her still, despite the years she had spent working alongside other humans before her time in the VE. The members of Jester were different though. Focused and driven where the others had been selfish and destructive. Men like Kiption adhered to a strong belief of honor through service, and were fiercely loyal towards their comrades. Mai had never once attempted to bond with any of her squad members, yet the link between herself and the others had become undeniable since her placement in the squad. It was most definitely there...an invisible line that tied her fate to Jester no matter how strongly she opposed the orders that they received from HC.

Mai let out a sigh of resignation as she stepped back from the doorway and span on her heel towards her quarters. Yes, the chances of success were extremely slim, and yes, the probability of discovery and death were high. But Kiption had been spot on in his advice. Orders were orders. And she'd been the one stupid enough to sign her life away for the promise of a steady paycheck and a chance to refine her military skills. If this 'Blackheart' wanted her to play Imperial Remnant she'd play the best damn Remnant possible. Disgruntled or no she was more than determined not to shame herself.


End file.
